Federal Funding
€580,000 for the West German Biobank Essen
- von Martin Rolshoven
- 28.07.2026
The West German Biobank Essen (WBE) has been awarded approximately €580,000 in funding by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The WBE is a central core facility of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen. By collecting and storing biological samples, it enables research of diseases and supports the development of improved diagnostic methods and therapies at the University Medicine Essen.
The funding will allow the WBE to further expand its infrastructure. The WBE is part of the emerging Biobank Platform Germany, which aims to make millions of tissue, blood and other biological fluid samples, together with their associated data, more accessible for medical research. The platform, which brings together 38 sites across Germany, is being developed by the German Biobank Network (GBN) – integrated in the Network of University Medicine (NUM) – while adhering to the highest standards of quality, data protection and research ethics.
“We are delighted that this funding will enable us to continue the sustainable expansion of the West German Biobank Essen over the next three and a half years,” says Priv.-Doz. Dr. Denise Zwanziger, Head of the WBE. “At the same time, easier access to samples and clinical data stored in university biobanks will accelerate the development of new approaches to disease prevention and treatment.”
Further information is available in the Network of University Medicine press release on the Biobank Platform Germany:
https://www.netzwerk-universitaetsmedizin.de/en/media/news/detail/work-begins-on-setting-up-the-biobank-platform-for-germany-1
Picture:
An automatic sample opener for the biobank that can open and close entire racks in just a few seconds.
More:
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Denise Zwanziger, Head, West German Biobank Essen, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Phone: +49 201 723-83790,denise.zwanziger@uk-essen.de
Editor: Martin Rolshoven, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, martin.rolshoven@uk-essen.de